56800 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 160 / Monday, August 21, 2023 / Notices 

participation with a 5-minute public 

comment period at 11:25 a.m. EDT. The 

SAB expects that public statements 

presented at its meetings will not be 

repetitive of previously submitted 

verbal or written statements. In general, 

each individual or group making a 

verbal presentation will be limited to a 

total time of three minutes. Written 

comments for the September 11, 2023 

meeting should be received by the SAB 

Executive Director’s Office 

(noaa.scienceadvisoryboard@noaa.gov) 

by September 01, 2023 to provide 

sufficient time for SAB review. Written 

comments received by the SAB 

Executive Director after these dates will 

be distributed to the SAB, but may not 

be reviewed prior to the meeting date. 

Special Accommodations: This 

meeting is physically accessible to 

people with disabilities. Requests for 

special accommodations may be 

directed to the Executive Director no 

later than 12 p.m. on September 01, 

2023. 

Matters to be Considered: The 

meeting on September 11, 2023 will 

consider Revisions the Report on the 

Review of the Cooperative Institute for 

Ocean Exploration (OECI). Meeting 

materials, including work products, will 

also be available on the SAB website: 

https://sab.noaa.gov/current-meetings/ 

current-meeting-documents/. 

Dated: August 11, 2023. 

David Holst, 

Chief Financial Officer/Administrative 

Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–17873 Filed 8–18–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD258] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application 

for ten permit renewals, one permit 

modification, and eight new permits. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has received 18 scientific 

research permit application requests 

relating to Pacific salmon, steelhead, 

green sturgeon, rockfish, and eulachon. 

NMFS has also received one permit 

application to enhance the propagation 

and survival of one listed salmonid 

species (Snake River steelhead). The 

proposed activities in all permits are 

intended to increase knowledge of 

species listed under the Endangered 

Species Act (ESA) and to help guide 

management and conservation efforts. 

DATES: Comments or requests for a 

public hearing on the applications must 

be received at the appropriate address or 

fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later 

than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on 

September 20, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

applications should be sent to the 

Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 

1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, 

Portland, OR 97232–1274. Comments 

may also be sent via fax to 503–230– 

5441 or by email to nmfs.wcr-apps@

noaa.gov (include the permit number in 

the subject line of the letter, fax, or 

email). The applications may be viewed 

online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

preview/preview_open_for_

comment.cfm. Permit application 

instructions are available from the 

address above, or online at https://

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob 

Clapp, Portland, OR, 541–231–2314, 

Robert.Clapp@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice 

The following ESA-listed species are 

covered in this notice: 

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 

tshawytscha): threatened Lower 

Columbia River (LCR); threatened Puget 

Sound (PS); threatened Snake River 

(SnkR) spring/summer-run; threatened 

SnkR fall-run; endangered Upper 

Columbia River (UCR) spring-run; 

threatened Upper Willamette River 

(UWR); threatened Central Valley 

spring-run (CVS); endangered 

Sacramento River (SacR) winter-run; 

and threatened California Coastal (CC). 

Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened 

LCR; threatened Middle Columbia River 

(MCR); threatened PS; threatened SnkR; 

threatened UCR; threatened UWR; 

threatened Northern California (NC); 

threatened Central California Coast 

(CCC); threatened California Central 

Valley (CCV); and endangered Southern 

California (SC). 

Chum salmon (O. keta): threatened 

Hood Canal Summer-run (HCS); and 

threatened Columbia River (CR). 

Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened 

LCR; threatened Oregon Coast (OC) 

coho; threatened Southern Oregon/ 

Northern California Coast (SONCC); and 

endangered CCC. 

Sockeye salmon (O. nerka): 

endangered SnkR; and threatened 

Ozette Lake (OL). 

Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus): 

threatened southern Distinct Population 

Segment (SDPS). 

Green sturgeon (Acipenser 

medirostris): threatened SDPS. 

Rockfish (Sebastes spp.): endangered 

Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PS/GB) 

bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis); and 

threatened PS/GB yelloweye rockfish (S. 

ruberrimus). 

Authority 

Scientific research permits and 

permits to enhance propagation or 

survival are issued in accordance with 

section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.) and regulations governing 

listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 

222–226). NMFS issues permits based 

on findings that such permits: (1) are 

applied for in good faith; (2) if granted 

and exercised, would not operate to the 

disadvantage of the listed species that 

are the subject of the permit; and (3) are 

consistent with the purposes and policy 

of section 2 of the ESA. The authority 

to take listed species is subject to 

conditions set forth in the permits. 

Anyone requesting a hearing on an 

application listed in this notice should 

set out the specific reasons why a 

hearing on that application would be 

appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such 

hearings are held at the discretion of the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NMFS. 

Applications Received 

Permit 15169–3R 

The National Park Service (NPS) is 

seeking to renew a permit that would 

authorize them to take juvenile and 

adult CC Chinook salmon, CCC coho 

salmon, and CCC steelhead as part of a 

long-term monitoring program within 

the NPS’s San Francisco Bay area 

network. The research includes seven 

studies within, or proximate to, NPS 

lands in: Lagunitas Creek, Olema Creek, 

Pine Gulch, Redwood Creek, and Rodeo 

Creek, and Easkoot Creek in Marin 

County; West Union and San Vicente 

Creeks in San Mateo County; Alhambra 

and Franklin Creeks in Contra Costa 

County; and Tomales Bay, CA. Study 1 

monitors salmonid smolt outmigration. 

Study 2 is a juvenile salmonid diet 

composition study. Study 3 is a spawner 

survey study. Study 4 focuses on 

summer/fall juvenile salmonid 

distribution, population abundance, and 

habitat monitoring. Study 5 is a juvenile 

salmonid winter habitat utilization 

study. Study 6 uses a floating resistanceboard weir-trap to monitor adult 


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salmonid spawning. Study 7 is a 

biotelemetry study in the Tomales Bay 

watershed. The research would 

continue a long-term monitoring 

program and would benefit affected 

species by identifying species trends 

that are used to guide management 

practices, develop and implement 

restoration actions, and evaluate 

conservation action success—all of 

which would serve to benefit listed 

salmonids and their habitats along the 

central California coast. 

The researchers propose to capture 

juvenile fish via backpack 

electrofishing, beach seining, screw 

trapping, and fyke- and hoop-netting. 

Juvenile fish would be captured, 

handled, and released. They would also 

be observed during snorkel surveys. A 

subsample of captured juveniles would 

be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and 

receive passive integrated transponder 

(PIT) tags. Adult fish would primarily 

be collected via weir, but a few 

individuals would be captured via 

screw trap and fyke net. Adults would 

also be observed during spawning and 

snorkel surveys. Adults captured at the 

weir would be captured, handled 

(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

A subsample of captured adults would 

be anesthetized, tissue-sampled and 

PIT-tagged. Some tissues may be 

collected from carcasses encountered 

during the spawning surveys. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

listed fish, but a small number may die 

as an inadvertent result of the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 16329–4R 

The Oregon Department of 

Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking 

to renew a permit that currently 

authorizes them take juvenile and adult 

CR chum salmon; LCR, UWR, UCR 

spring-run, SnkR fall-run, and SnkR 

spring/summer-run Chinook salmon; 

LCR, OC, and SONCC coho salmon; and 

LCR, UWR, MCR, UCR, and SnkR basin 

steelhead in all Oregon State waters. 

The purpose of the research is to assess 

environmental impairment from 

pollutants and evaluate the effectiveness 

of management activities in protecting 

and restoring aquatic ecosystems. The 

scientific research permit would 

authorize listed species to be taken 

under four DEQ programs: (1) 

Biomonitoring Program, (2) Oregon 

Toxics Monitoring Program, (3) Mixing 

Zone Surveys, and (4) Spill Impact and 

Cleanup Effectiveness Evaluations. 

Together, these programs are used to 

assess watershed and aquatic 

community health, determine the 

presence and effects of contaminants, 

and gauge the effectiveness of waste 

treatment and spill cleanup procedures. 

The information gathered would help 

the DEQ fulfill its mission to assess, 

restore, enhance, and maintain the 

quality of Oregon’s waters, as directed 

by state and Federal laws. The research 

would benefit listed species by 

providing information on watershed 

health and contaminants—information 

that would be used to inform efforts to 

protect and restore salmonid habitat. 

The DEQ proposes to capture fish 

from spring through fall using backpack 

and boat electrofishing, seining, and 

angling. After capturing the fish, the 

researchers would quickly transfer them 

to buckets of aerated water, weigh and 

measure some of them, and release them 

near the site of their capture within 20 

minutes. No drugs or anesthesia would 

be used. The researchers propose to 

intentionally kill small numbers of nonlisted, resident fish. The researchers 

would not intentionally kill any ESAlisted fish, but a small number may die 

as an unintended result of the research 

activities. 

Permit 16506–4R 

Mike Podlech, an independent 

researcher, is seeking to renew a 

research permit that would authorize 

him to take juvenile and adult CCC coho 

salmon and CCC steelhead while 

monitoring population trends in Squaw 

Creek, Pescadero Creek, and Mill Creek, 

CA. The research would benefit affected 

species by providing population data to 

inform ongoing watershed restoration 

and salmonid recovery efforts. The 

research includes three studies. The 

objective of Study 1 (Squaw Creek) is to 

continue a 39-year monitoring program 

of the juvenile CCC steelhead 

population in a largely undisturbed 

watershed. Study 2 (Pescadero Creek) 

aims to expand upon limited baseline 

CCC steelhead and CCC coho salmon 

population data and initiate long-term 

smolt outmigration monitoring in a 

degraded watershed. Mill Creek (Study 

3) would take place in a tributary to San 

Vicente Creek, the southernmost 

watershed with a remnant natural CCC 

coho salmon population. Salmonid 

populations in the San Vicente Creek 

watershed have been studied 

extensively over the past two decades, 

but the Mill Creek tributary has received 

relatively little attention. However, a 

legacy dam was removed from Mill 

Creek in 2021 and juvenile CCC coho 

salmon were detected in the stream for 

the first time in 2022. Study 3 is 

intended to monitor the trajectory of the 

population and measure the upstream 

range of CCC coho salmon in this 

tributary and thereby help inform future 

management decisions for the benefit of 

the listed coho. 

Under the three studies, juveniles 

would be collected via backpack 

electrofishing and fyke nets. Juvenile 

fish would be captured, handled, and 

released. A subsample of captured 

juveniles would be anesthetized, tissuesampled and PIT-tagged. Though adult 

fish would not be targeted, a few 

individuals might be collected via fyke 

net. All captured adults would simply 

be handled and released. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

ESA-listed fish, but a small number may 

die as an inadvertent result of the 

proposed activities. 

Permit 16544–2R 

The California Department of Fish 

and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s), South Coast 

Region is seeking to renew a permit that 

would authorize them to take juvenile 

and adult SC steelhead in order to 

monitor the species’ population status, 

trends, spatial structure, and life history 

diversity in an area stretching from 

Topanga Canyon to Santa Maria, CA. 

This long-term monitoring study would 

benefit SC steelhead by providing data 

to inform management decisions and 

recovery efforts. 

Juvenile fish would be collected via 

backpack electrofishing, dip net, fyke 

net, minnow trap, weir, hook-and-line 

angling, and beach seine. They would 

also be observed during snorkel surveys. 

Most juvenile fish would simply be 

captured, handled, and released, but a 

subsample would be anesthetized, 

tissue-sampled and PIT-tagged. Adult 

fish would be collected via dip net, 

hook-and-line angling, beach seine, trap, 

and weir, and they would also be 

observed during snorkel surveys. 

Spawned adults or post-spawn carcasses 

would be enumerated during spawning 

surveys. A subsample of captured adults 

would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled 

and PIT-tagged. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a 

small number may die as an inadvertent 

result of the proposed activities. 

Permit 17551–4R 

The CDFW is seeking to renew a 

permit that would authorize them to 

take juvenile and adult SacR winter-run 

Chinook salmon, CVS Chinook salmon, 

and CCV steelhead, and juvenile SDPS 

green sturgeon. The purpose of this 

study is to monitor SDPS green sturgeon 

recruitment to the juvenile life stage and 

to learn more about green sturgeon 

movement patterns (including ocean 

entry) and habitat use in the lower 

Sacramento River, the Sacramento-San 

Joaquin Delta, and greater San 

Francisco. Though green sturgeon are 


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the target species, Chinook salmon and 

steelhead may be encountered, but they 

would immediately be released if that 

happens. This study would benefit 

green sturgeon by providing information 

on their temporal and spatial movement 

patterns, rearing habitat preferences, 

and survival. This information, in turn, 

would be used to improve species and 

water management in the region. 

Juvenile green sturgeon would be 

collected by gill netting them. A 

subsample of the juveniles would be 

anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PITtagged. The researchers do not intend to 

kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small 

number may die as an inadvertent result 

of the proposed activities. 

Permit 19400–4R 

ICF International (a consulting firm) is 

seeking to renew a permit that would 

authorize them to take juvenile SacR 

winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS 

Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and 

SDPS green sturgeon in order to 

determine how juvenile salmonids use 

the San Francisco estuary for rearing. 

This study would benefit affected 

species by providing a better 

understanding of fine-scale distribution 

patterns of fishes in navigation channels 

and near dredge operations in the San 

Francisco Estuary. This, in turn, would 

inform ongoing and proposed 

restoration projects. The research 

includes two studies: (1) investigating 

the use of alternative monitoring 

techniques including SONAR and 

environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor 

fish species near restoration projects 

and dredge operations, and (2) 

evaluating non-invasive sampling 

methods to supplement physical fish 

collection by pairing trawls with 

acoustic methods and eDNA data to 

provide an estimate of rare species 

biomass and habitat use. 

Juvenile fish would be collected via 

plankton nets, bottom trawl, and 

midwater trawl. Juvenile fish would be 

captured, handled, and released. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

ESA-listed fish, but a small number may 

die as an inadvertent result of the 

proposed activities. 

Permit 20047–3R 

The University of Washington (UW) is 

seeking to renew a permit that would 

authorize them to continue to take 

annually juvenile PS Chinook salmon, 

PS steelhead, PS/GB DPS bocaccio, PS/ 

GB DPS yelloweye rockfish, HCS chum 

salmon, and adult SDPS eulachon in 

order to study the fish communities 

associated with tideflats with and 

without seagrass in Puget Sound and 

coastal Washington. This study would 

fill current information gaps on how 

habitat structure impacts higher trophic 

levels in nearshore habitats in the 

Pacific Northwest, and benefit ESAlisted salmon and steelhead recovery by 

reducing the uncertainty around current 

ecosystem linkages that are used to 

select habitat sites to preserve and 

restore. 

Juvenile salmon, steelhead, and 

rockfish and adult eulachon would be 

collected via beach seine, handled 

(weighed, measured, and checked for 

marks or tags), and released. The 

researchers are not proposing to kill any 

of the ESA-listed fish being captured, 

but a small number of fish may be killed 

as an inadvertent result of these 

activities. 

Permit 22303–2R 

The NMFS West Coast Region is 

seeking to renew a permit that would 

authorize them to take adult LCR 

Chinook salmon, CC Chinook salmon, 

SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS 

Chinook salmon, and SDPS green 

sturgeon in order to characterize the 

physical interaction between green 

sturgeon and bottom trawl nets used in 

the CA halibut fishery that operates out 

of Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, 

CA. This study would benefit green 

sturgeon by providing information to 

evaluate and develop methods to 

minimize gear interactions and bycatch 

of green sturgeon. 

Adult green sturgeon would be 

collected bottom trawl. Green sturgeon 

adults would be captured, handled 

(anesthetized, weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks or tags), and released. 

Though green sturgeon are the target 

species, LCR, CC, SacR and CVS 

Chinook salmon might also be 

encountered. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a 

small number may die as an inadvertent 

result of the proposed activities. 

Permit 22700–2R 

The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout 

Project is seeking to renew a permit that 

would authorize them to take adult CCC 

coho salmon and CCC steelhead in order 

to gather data on their genetics and life 

histories in the San Lorenzo River 

watershed, CA. This study would 

benefits affected species by proving 

abundance assessments and life history 

data and thereby help facilitate recovery 

actions. 

Adult fish would be collected from a 

fish ladder at the Felton Diversion 

Facility weir on the San Lorenzo River. 

Adult fish would be captured, handled 

(weighed, measured, and checked for 

marks or tags), and released; a 

subsample of them would be 

anesthetized, tissue-sampled, and PITtagged. The researchers do not intend to 

kill any ESA-listed fish, but a small 

number may die as an inadvertent result 

of the proposed activities. 

Permit 22939–2R 

TRPA Fish Biologists (a consulting 

firm) is seeking to renew a permit that 

would authorize them to take juvenile 

SacR winter-run Chinook salmon, CVS 

Chinook salmon, CCV steelhead, and 

SDPS green sturgeon while conducting 

seasonal presence/absence and relative 

abundance surveys for native fish 

species in a delta wetland area known 

as The Big Ditch on the Peterson Ranch 

in eastern Solano County, California. 

Before this study, no information was 

available on ESA-listed species presence 

or seasonal use of the Big Ditch Project 

area. The study would benefit the 

affected species by continuing to 

provide baseline information on 

seasonal fish use and thereby inform 

habitat restoration actions. 

Juvenile fish would be collected via 

beach seine and minnow trap. Juvenile 

fish would be captured, handled, and 

released, and a subsample of them 

would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled 

and PIT-tagged prior. The researchers do 

not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, 

but a small number may die as an 

inadvertent result of the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 25466–2M 

TRPA Fish Biologists are seeking to 

modify a permit that currently 

authorizes them to take juvenile and 

adult CCV steelhead with the purpose of 

providing information on fish 

distribution, relative abundance, and 

diversity in Ulatis Flood Control Project 

(Ulatis Project) stream channels. The 

Ulatis Project is located in the VacavilleElmira urban corridor in CA and is 

made up of approximately 43.5 miles 

(∼70km) of realigned and engineered 

stream channels that were created to 

alleviate recurring floods in the lower 

Ulatis watershed. The modification 

would entail adding sampling locations 

(middle and upper Ulatis and Alamo 

Creek channels); it would also require 

adding small amounts of take for 

juvenile CCV steelhead. The study 

would benefit CCV steelhead by 

providing biological data (lengths, 

weights, and counts) on the fish 

populations in the lower basin. This 

information would be used to monitor 

CCV steelhead distribution and 

diversity and to assess population 

responses to managed flows. 

Juvenile fish would be collected via 

backpack electrofishing. A subsample of 

captured juveniles would be 


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anesthetized, tissue-sampled and PITtagged prior to release. The researchers 

do not intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, 

but a small number may die as an 

inadvertent result of the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 25795 

Washington State University (WSU) is 

seeking a new permit that would 

authorize them to annually take adult 

PS Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, HCS 

chum salmon, and SDPS green sturgeon 

in order to study the reproductive 

physiology of pink salmon and genetics 

and population structure of Pacific 

spiny dogfish in Puget Sound. The 

study of pink salmon reproductive 

biology is likely to benefit ESA-listed 

salmon and steelhead by providing a 

better understanding of the molecular 

processes governing the regulation of 

age at maturity and tissue remodeling in 

Pacific salmonids using an unlisted 

model organism. The age at maturity of 

Pacific salmon and steelhead has 

important implications for their 

migratory behavior and reproductive 

timing and success. 

Fish would be collected via hook-andline angling over approximately 4 days 

of sampling between July and 

September in multiple locations in the 

Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. 

ESA-listed species are not being targeted 

by this sampling, but up to one adult 

from each hatchery or natural-origin 

component of the above species may be 

unintentionally captured. Any ESAlisted species captured would be 

handled (checked for marks or tags and 

potentially measured) and quickly 

released. The researchers are not 

proposing to kill any of the listed fish 

being captured, but a small number of 

fish may be killed as an inadvertent 

result of these activities. 

Permit 25808 

The U.S. Marine Corps is seeking a 

new permit that would authorize them 

to take juvenile and adult SC steelhead 

during the course of documenting their 

biodiversity and freshwater habitat in 

the three largest watersheds located on 

U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp 

Pendleton: Santa Mateo Creek, San 

Onofre Creek, and the Santa Margarita 

River, CA. The study would benefit SC 

steelhead by providing species presence 

and habitat suitability data to inform 

future management and recovery 

strategies (e.g., helping locate and 

preserve drought refugia). 

Juveniles would be collected via 

backpack electrofishing and observed at 

weirs, fish ladders, and dams, and 

during snorkel surveys. Juvenile fish 

would be captured, handled, and 

released. A subsample of captured 

juveniles would be anesthetized, tissuesampled and PIT-tagged. Adults would 

be observed at weirs, fish ladders, and 

dams and during snorkel surveys. The 

researchers do not intend to kill any 

listed fish, but a small number may die 

as an inadvertent result of the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 27030 

The Idaho Department of Fish and 

Game (IDFG) is seeking a 5-year permit 

to enhance the propagation and survival 

of SnkR steelhead in Big Bear Creek in 

northern Idaho. Under this permit, the 

IDFG would trap adult natural steelhead 

in the Big Bear Creek watershed and 

transport them to a point upstream of 

Big Bear Falls (a semi-impassable 

barrier) and release them back into Big 

Bear Creek. The adults would be 

anesthetized, tissue-sampled, radiotagged, and transported in 50-gallon 

(∼189.27 L) aerated tanks approximately 

2 miles (∼3.22 km) upstream. In 

addition, the IDFG would use backpack 

electrofishing to sample juvenile 

steelhead upstream from the falls, and a 

screw trap to sample them at the mouth 

of Big Bear Creek. All captured juveniles 

would be anesthetized, weighed, 

measured, tissue-sampled, and PITtagged. 

The purpose of this project is to 

improve steelhead access to spawning 

and juvenile rearing habitat above Big 

Bear Falls. Rearing capacity in the Big 

Bear Creek watershed is limited, and life 

cycle modelling indicates enhanced 

adult steelhead passage at the falls 

could increase smolt production by an 

additional 5,000 smolts per year. 

Transporting adult steelhead around Big 

Bear Falls would benefit listed fish by 

increasing available habitat capacity in 

the drainage and thereby potentially 

alleviate density-dependent effects and 

increase population productivity. The 

IDFG does not intend to kill any of the 

fish being captured, but a small number 

may die as an inadvertent result of the 

activities. 

Permit 27068 

The Makah Tribe is seeking a new 

permit that would authorize them to 

take juvenile and adult fish from every 

species listed in the first part of this 

notice except for SDPS eulachon and 

green sturgeon. This proposed work 

would expand salmon research under 

four specific areas of investigation: (1) 

improving knowledge of Chinook 

salmon ecology in marine waters of 

northwestern Washington (with a focus 

on winter and early spring); (2) better 

understanding how offshore troll fishery 

gear affects Chinook and Coho salmon 

injury and mortality rates (specifically 

with regard to hook size); (3) improving 

understanding of the factors limiting 

Lake Ozette sockeye salmon recovery; 

and (4) monitoring the recent increase 

in abundance of invasive European 

green crabs (EGC) in Makah Bay, its 

tributaries, and the Strait of Juan de 

Fuca. Each of these studies would 

provide information addressing data 

gaps or current threats that would help 

the Makah Tribe manage their fisheries 

resources, and inform recovery actions 

for ESA-listed salmonid species. 

As part of the first effort, adult or 

subadult salmon or steelhead may 

collected by hook-and-line angling. This 

study targets Chinook and coho salmon, 

so any other salmon or steelhead would 

be handled (weighed, measured, and 

checked for marks and tags) and 

released. Captured Chinook and coho 

salmon would be handled and have 

scale and fin clip samples collected, and 

those in suitable condition would be 

anesthetized and tagged with popup 

satellite archival tags or acoustic tags as 

appropriate based on their size. During 

investigations of hooking injury and 

mortality rates, adult or subadult fish 

would be collected by hook-and-line 

angling using barbless J hooks of 

variable size (1/0 and 6/0), handled 

(weighed, measured, and checked for 

marks and tags), checked for hooking 

location and any injuries, and then have 

the hook removed and be released 

following catch-and-release best 

practices. No ESA-listed species are 

specifically targeted in either of these 

studies, but some may be 

unintentionally captured as a part of 

this effort and ESA-listed Chinook and 

coho salmon species are components of 

the target species of salmon being 

studied in these areas. 

For the Lake Ozette sockeye salmon 

study, both juvenile and adult salmon 

would be collected. Juveniles would be 

collected via minnow or screw traps (or 

smolt wheel), and adults would be 

collected via weir or gill/tangle netting. 

Juvenile fish would be captured, 

handled (measured, weighted, and 

checked for marks or tags), anesthetized, 

and tagged with surgically implanted 

acoustic tags prior to release. Captured 

adults would be handled (measured, 

weighted, and checked for marks or 

tags), anesthetized, tissue-sampled, and 

tagged with surgically implanted 

acoustic tags prior to release. Lastly, the 

effort to monitor the presence and 

abundance of invasive EGC involves 

setting small minnow traps, shrimp 

pots, or modified fukui traps that may 

unintentionally capture juvenile ESAlisted fish. Any fish unintentionally 

captured would be released from traps 


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and returned to the water at the site of 

capture with as little handling as 

possible. The researchers are not 

proposing to kill any of the listed fish 

being captured, but a small number of 

fish may be killed as an inadvertent 

result of these activities. 

Permit 27150 

The IDFG is seeking a 5-year permit 

to conduct three studies in the 

Clearwater River basin in Idaho. They 

are (1) Standard Resident Fish Stream 

Surveys, (2) Juvenile O. mykiss 

Composition in the Lower Clearwater 

River Drainage, and (3) Seasonal 

Resident Fish Movement and Angler 

Encounter Rates. Studies 1 and 3 would 

be conducted concurrently, and all three 

would involve capturing juvenile SnkR 

steelhead via boat electrofishing. 

Approximately half of the captured fish 

would simply be handled, measured, 

identified, and released. The rest of the 

captured fish would also be tissuesampled, and some would be marked for 

the purpose of determining recapture 

rates. Some of the captured fish may 

also be anesthetized to reduce handling 

and sampling stress. 

The purposes of the work are (1) to 

gather information on fish distribution, 

abundance, and composition—with an 

emphasis on evaluating the distribution 

and impacts of non-native predator fish; 

(2) assess the genetic and behavioral 

influences that hatchery-produced 

steelhead in the Clearwater River 

watershed have on ESA-listed, natural 

O. mykiss in the area; and (3) monitor 

westslope cutthroat trout distribution 

and movement. The three projects, 

collectively, would benefit ESA-listed 

steelhead by helping managers monitor 

the species’ abundance, composition, 

density, distribution, age structure, 

growth, and sources of mortality. 

Additionally, the work would help 

managers better understand interactions 

between the listed fish, their non-native 

predators, other conspecific (but not 

listed) fish, and the angling community. 

All the information to be gained would 

be used to inform management 

decisions regarding fishing regulations 

and seasons, predator control measures, 

and various recovery actions for the 

listed SnkR steelhead. The researchers 

do not intend to kill any of the fish 

being captured, but a small number may 

die as an inadvertent result of the 

activities. 

Permits 27299 and 27469 

Cramer Fish Sciences is seeking two 

new permits that would authorize them 

to take juvenile and adult SacR winterrun Chinook salmon during the course 

of conducting two Chinook egg-to-fry 

survival studies in the Sacramento 

River, CA, between Keswick Dam and 

the confluence of the river and Clear 

Creek. The purpose of both these studies 

is to estimate Chinook salmon egg 

mortality and temperature exposure as 

well as intergravel water velocity and 

dissolved oxygen concentration in 

artificial redds placed in Chinook falland winter-run spawning habitat. 

Additionally, egg survival would be 

evaluated in natural fall- and winter-run 

redds that are predicted to be exposed 

to temperatures above mortality 

thresholds. Though SacR winter-run 

Chinook are not the target species, a few 

individual fish might be encountered or 

observed during stream or snorkel 

surveys. The research is not expected to 

kill any ESA-listed fish. 

Permit 27513 

Stillwater Sciences is seeking a new 

permit that would authorize them to 

take juvenile NC steelhead, CC Chinook 

salmon, and CCC coho salmon while 

assessing aquatic habitat conditions and 

fish use in the lower Navarro River and 

its estuary in California—including 

some of the river’s lower tributary 

reaches (Marsh, Flume, Murray, Barton, 

Ray, and Mustard gulches). The research 

would benefit ESA-listed species by 

providing information on opportunities 

and constraints for salmonid habitat 

restoration in the estuary and lower 

mainstem Navarro River corridor. 

Documenting seasonal salmonid 

distribution, habitat use, and relative 

abundance of fish species would help 

managers develop and prioritize 

restoration actions for the lower Navarro 

River and estuary and contribute to 

those actions’ effectiveness. 

Juvenile fish would be collected via 

dip net, beach seine, and minnow trap 

and observed during snorkel surveys. 

Juvenile fish would be captured, 

handled, and released; a subsample 

would be anesthetized, tissue-sampled 

and PIT-tagged. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any ESA-listed fish, but a 

small number may die as an inadvertent 

result of the proposed activities. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS will 

evaluate the applications, associated 

documents, and comments submitted to 

determine whether the applications 

meet the requirements of section 10(a) 

of the ESA and Federal regulations. The 

final permit decisions will not be made 

until after the end of the 30-day 

comment period. NMFS will publish 

notice of its final action in the Federal 

Register. 

Dated: August 15, 2023. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–17885 Filed 8–18–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD247] 

Endangered Species; File No. 27551 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application 

and conservation plan for renewal of an 

incidental take permit. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the Georgia Department of Natural 

Resources (GA DNR) has applied in due 

form for a permit pursuant to the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (ESA). The permit application 

is for the incidental take of ESA-listed 

shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and 

Atlantic sturgeon (A. oxyrinchus) 

associated with the otherwise lawful 

commercial shad fishery in Georgia. The 

duration of the proposed permit is 10 

years. NMFS is furnishing this notice in 

order to allow other agencies and the 

public an opportunity to review and 

comment on the application materials. 

All comments received will become part 

of the public record and will be 

available for review. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received at the appropriate address (see 

ADDRESSES) on or before September 20, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: The application is available 

for download and review at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

endangered-species-conservation/ 

incidental-take-permits and at http://

www.regulations.gov. The application is 

also available upon request (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You 

may submit comments on this 

document, identified by NOAA–NMFS– 

2023–0100, by any of the following 

methods: 

Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and 

NOAA–NMFS–2023–0100 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1